Page 35 - English Grammar and Composition-Student Textbook short

Its is a possessive pronoun. Its modifies a noun and is used to show ownership. For example:
• The tree had fruit hanging from its branches.
• Nothing can take its place.
• The lizard caught a fly with its tongue.

To determine if you should use it’s or its in your sentence, simply try replacing the word with it is or it has. If the
sentence makes sense, it’s is appropriate. If not, use its. For example:
• “Nothing can take it is place” makes no sense. Therefore, the correct word to use is its.
• “It is raining outside” is a perfectly acceptable sentence. Therefore, you may use it’s if you wish.

They’re, Their, and There

They’re, their, and there are also quite commonly confused words among students who are learning about
contractions.

They’re is a contraction for they are. For example:
• They’re coming with me.
• I think they’re very nice chairs.
• They’re going to Colorado to see the Rocky Mountains.
Their is a possessive pronoun. It is used when you want to show that something belongs to someone. For example:
• Their vacation will be spent at the lake.
• We went to their house for dinner.
• What will be their arrival time?
There is used to mean that something is at or in a particular place. For example:
• There is nshima tonight for dinner.
• There are many people gathered to watch the game.
• We will go there next week for ministry.
Deciding which word to use is easy if you remember a few simple tips:
• If you can replace the questionable word with they are, they’re is correct.
• If you can replace the questionable word with his or her, their is correct.
• If you can replace the questionable word with here, there is correct.

Using Contractions in Formal Writing

As stated in the introduction above, contractions can be very useful in written English but many experts caution
against the use of contractions in formal communication. Since contractions tend to add a light and informal tone
to your writing, they are often inappropriate for academic research papers, business presentations, and other types
of official correspondence. However, this rule does have some flexibility. In general, it’s best to use your own
judgment when deciding if contractions are appropriate for a particular piece.

End of Sentence Contractions

Contractions can be used in any position in a sentence; however, homophone contractions such as “it’s” and
“they’re” sound better when followed by another word or phrase. The reason is that the sounds of “its” and “it’s”
and “they’re” and “they are” are so similar that they can be confusing unless they are used with the context of an
additional word. For example:

• Incorrect: “It is what it’s.”
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